The Incident
by anonkp
Summary: "There's been an incident," Hetty stated. "What kind of incident?" "The kind, I predict, that you will always remember," she replied enigmatically. Inspired by R. Scott Gemmill's Season 11 Densi teaser.
1. Chapter 1

_AN: This is too implausible to be a prediction. It's just something that popped into my head fully formed when I heard R. Scott Gemmill's tease about an incident that will affect Kensi and Deeks._

* * *

"Listen, partner," Kensi said as she hobbled into the mission with her husband, "Next time we go undercover at a cocktail party, you can be the one who gets to wear the high heels all night, OK?"

"I don't think they'd match my super stylish Tom Ford suit, otherwise of course I'd be happy to," he replied with a grin.

Kensi merely rolled her eyes, set down her bag, and went to get coffee. As Deeks laid down his own bag, he noticed Hetty looking his way from her desk, a steaming cup of tea in her hands. She nodded and gestured for him to come over. As he approached, the serious look on her face immediately had him concerned.

"Good morning Mr. Deeks," she said rather somberly. "Can you please ask your partner to join us?"

He desperately wanted to prod to find out what bad news required both his and Kensi's presence, but knowing Hetty would stay mum if he tried, he turned to retrieve his partner, a frown coloring his features.

Once the two returned, Hetty gestured for them to take a seat. Deeks' racing mind immediately filled with silly one-liners to cut the tension, but somehow he managed to refrain from his usual nervous repartee and waited for Hetty to speak.

"There's been an incident," Hetty stated.

"What kind of incident?" Kensi asked.

"The kind, I predict, that you will always remember," she replied enigmatically.

"Hetty you're starting to freak me out-"

"Mr. Deeks, please allow me to continue," Hetty stated patiently.

He nodded, raising his eyebrows expectedly.

"It involves Shay Mosley."

"OK, that, I was not expecting," Deeks said. He sat back in his chair, somewhat relieved that said incident sounded work related.

"She and Derrick were living in Philadelphia under assumed names. With Spencer Williams dead, they should have been safe."

Deeks felt his stomach drop. "Should have been?"

"I'm afraid to report that Mosley was killed two days ago when armed men attempted to kidnap Derrick."

"That's terrible," Kensi replied. "Is Derrick OK?"

"His mother kept him safe. She fought off four men and got Derrick to safety, but took two bullets in the process. She died in surgery."

"Where's Derrick now? Who sent the men? How will Derrick stay safe?" Kensi persisted, anxious to make sure the child was out of danger.

"One thing at a time, Ms. Blye. It would appear that Williams has a brother, Steven, whose criminal enterprise is more than the equal of Spencer's. He managed to track Mosley and Derrick to Philadelphia. He apparently wanted revenge on Mosley for killing his brother, as well as to take Derrick back into the family- and most likely, eventually, the family business."

"That's awful," said Kensi, clearly troubled by the news.

"Indeed. Currently Derrick is in protective custody."

"It wouldn't be safe to place him with Mosley's family," Deeks added, thinking out loud. "Steven Williams would no doubt find him."

"True, Mr. Deeks, if Mosley had any family. Unfortunately for Derrick, she didn't."

Hetty took a long sip of tea, giving Deeks and Kensi a moment to absorb the news.

"Hetty, please tell me Derrick isn't going to end up in the system," Deeks said. "He's already been through so much. Did Mosley have a will? Surely she anticipated needing to provide for Derrick if something happened to her."

"She did," Hetty said simply. "In fact, she left detailed instructions." Hetty pulled several papers out of her desk drawer, turned them around, and slid them across to the couple. "Take a look. I have something to check on in Ops." With that, she got up and walked away, leaving Kensi and Deeks staring at each other with confused expressions.

Kensi pulled the papers closer, and Deeks leaned in so they could read together. The first document appeared to be the will in question. Halfway down the first page, they reached a section entitled, "Guardianship Nomination."

_In the event that my death occurs during the minority of my son, I nominate Kensi Marie Blye and Martin Andrew Deeks of Los Angeles, California, to be the co-guardians of his person and estate. I direct that the co-guardians of my minor child perform all acts, take all proceedings and exercise all such rights and privileges, although not specifically mentioned in this Will, with relation to any matter affecting both the person and estate of my minor child…_

"What the-" Deeks exclaimed. "This can't be right. It doesn't make sense."

"This is not happening," said Kensi. "Why would she… What would make her think… How could we… I mean, can she do this?"

Deeks nodded. "She can, but why would she? Let's keep reading." They finished the short will and turned to the final page, which had a different format- that of a personal letter.

* * *

_Dear Kensi and Deeks,_

_If you're reading this, then the worst has happened and I've left my son without any parents to care for him. It breaks my heart imagining him all alone in the world, especially after everything he's been through. He's such a sweet, gentle boy and he doesn't deserve any of the terrible things that have happened to him. I know I carry a good deal of the blame for that, but now it doesn't really matter, does it?_

_I have many dear friends in my life who've supported Derrick and me, friends who would make fine adoptive parents. But you know what? As I thought through the list of people who might take on this role, for some reason you two kept popping into my mind. I cannot think of anyone with whom I'd rather entrust the person I love most in the world. I don't believe it's just because I know you'd both give your lives to ensure his physical safety (you nearly already did that), although Derrick's safety does weigh heavily on me every day as I look over my shoulder for ghosts from my old life. Believe it or not, I actually think it's because of how well I came to know you in our short time working together._

_I'm sure your heads are spinning at this news, but let me tell you a bit more about why I've come to this conclusion. Kensi, I'll start with you. Your courage is awe-inspiring. The ferocity with which you work to bring justice to the world, to defend the defenseless from those who would do them harm, has inspired me. You carry a well-earned confidence in your ability to do your job, but I don't think you've begun to appreciate how those abilities will translate into building a family for yourself. Your strength will carry you far, but it's your empathy, your ability to understand others' pain and fight to find a way to ease it, that will make you the best kind of mother. I often think about your selflessness when I find myself second-guessing the way I treated your husband (a belated congratulations, by the way). I know I could have used a much bigger dose of understanding myself. _

_And speaking of the detective… Deeks, I know you and I never saw eye to eye on anything. But as I got some distance from NCIS and gained perspective on what happened, I kept thinking about you. About the way you stood up to me, the way you stood up for your principles and for your teammates. I couldn't ask for a better example for my son. And your loyalty to your team, and of course to your partner, that drove you to join them on a potential suicide mission even after how badly I had treated you, again just made me respect you all the more._

_There's one more thing, Detective. And that has to do with your own upbringing, which I know was filled with its share of trauma. (I'm sorry to admit that I read your file. All of it.) That you managed to emerge from so much darkness in your own childhood to become a man of principle who fights for what's right, who can light up a room with his humor (I may not have laughed but I did notice your effect on everyone else), and who does it all with an innate kindness, well, that's what I want for Derrick. He's a kind soul and I see him having more in common with you than you might have imagined that day when you brought him back to me. You more than anyone I know will be able to guide Derrick to a happy and healthy life._

_I don't know when or if you two spoke of having children yourselves, but I sincerely and profoundly hope that you'll consider taking Derrick into your lives. He is my pride and joy. He's a beautiful boy. I just want what's best for him. And that is, to put it simply, the two of you._

_With boundless gratitude,_

_Shay_

* * *

The couple sat silently. Tears dropped from Kensi's eyes. Deeks stared into space, trying to make sense of the whole thing.

Finally, Kensi turned to her husband, taking his hand in hers. "She took long enough, but I'm glad she finally understood you," she said.

His lips turned up ever so slightly in a sad smile. "I don't know about that, but I do think she had you pegged pretty good."

After a few more minutes of silent thought, Deeks asked, "What are we supposed to do now?"

"I don't know," Kensi replied. "I feel angry that she would put us in this position, but also kind of like she's given us no choice."

"Yeah, I get that. Wait, what? What does that mean? What are you thinking?" Deeks hadn't realized what he wanted until that moment, when his heart became clear. He looked at Kensi but tried not to hold out hope that she'd want the same thing.

"I don't know, Deeks. I can't bear to think that us turning Derrick away would send him into the system. We fought so hard, and nearly sacrificed so much- everything, really- to help that boy live a safe and happy life. I don't know if I want to be responsible for him experiencing even more trauma."

"We wouldn't be responsible, Kens. He's not our responsibility… unless we want him to be."

Kensi looked at Deeks with a growing sense of frustration. Utter frustration that something she always thought she could control – when to start a family – felt like it was being imposed on her. Yet she realized as she looked into her husband's face, and saw him trying to hide his hope, that it wasn't his fault. Maybe the best decision was to simply accept what fate had seemingly bestowed. She thought back to the darkness that had enveloped her after the helicopter crash, when a similar bitterness that fate had taken away her chosen path in life overtook her. And with more than a small degree of terror, she vowed to herself to handle this twist of fate with more grace.

"Maybe it was always meant to happen this way," she told him.

"What was meant to happen this way?"

"Us starting a family."

It was Deeks' turn for a few tears to fall. He released a shaky breath. "Are you sure? We can take more time to think about it, to talk about it."

Somehow Kensi felt a growing sense of certainty. "Yeah, I'm scared to death, but somehow this feels right. When have we ever done things the conventional way? I think I'm ready for our next adventure. That is, if you are?"

"Oh Kens. Where you go, I go. But yeah, this feels right. And yes, I want this," Deeks told her, a look of gratitude on his face.

She wiped the tears from his cheeks, then wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in to give him a gentle kiss. "Let's do it, partner."

"We're doing this," he smiled. This time it went all the way to his eyes. "Our mothers' heads are going to explode at the sudden appearance of a grandson."

Kensi laughed. "I hope not – we need them for child care!" she joked.

Hetty chose this moment to reappear. "Have you had a chance to consider your options?"

Kensi told her, "Yes we have, Hetty. We'd like to honor Mosley's wishes and bring Derrick into our family."

"As long as you'll agree to be his godmother," added Deeks.

"With pleasure, Mr. Deeks, with pleasure. I know this has been a bit of a shock, and that you'll need time to fully absorb the news, but do let me know when you are ready to see Derrick."

"Wait, what? Hetty, where exactly is he right now?" Deeks asked.

"As I stated, Mr. Deeks, he's in protective custody. As it happens, right here in Los Angeles. He arrived last night."

"Were you that confident we'd say yes?" asked Deeks.

"I knew only that the two of you have always done the right thing for others. I merely trusted that you would do the same in this instance," Hetty replied.

Deeks chuckled, then turned to Kensi. "What do you say, Kens, do you want to go meet your son?"

Kensi's eyes bulged in fear, but then she slowly nodded and smiled. "Our son, Deeks, our son."

* * *

_Thanks for reading my first ever fan fic. I think it got kind of sappy at the end there, but like I said, it just came that way. All constructive criticism is welcome._


	2. Chapter 2

The last 48 hours had been a blur, filled with shouting, gunshots, flashing lights, and people. So many people. Except for the scary men with guns who had come to hurt him and his mom, everyone seemed friendly enough. He was just having a hard time wrapping his head around what was happening. It was much easier to tune out all the activity.

He didn't really understand why he was put on an airplane, or whom he would meet when he got to California. He didn't know anyone there, but he had heard his mom talk about living there so he figured maybe he'd see someone she had known. Would he stay with them? He sure didn't want to be on his own, after all, he was only 13. He wasn't even sure that his dad was really dead, like his mom had told him. Maybe he'd have to ask about that. Worries about his future tumbled around in his head until the dull sound of the plane's engines lulled him into a restless sleep.

When they landed in Los Angeles, he was taken to a house in a quiet, residential neighborhood. The lady who accompanied him called it a "safe house," which he took to mean that the men with guns wouldn't be able to find him there. The next morning, after breakfast and sitting on the sofa staring at the TV for a while, two new people arrived, a man and a woman. They looked nervous, and he worried that maybe the house wasn't as safe as he'd been told.

"Hi Derrick," said the woman. "My name is Kensi. I worked with your mom."

"And I'm Deeks," said the man. "Or," he quickly corrected, "Marty. You can call me Marty. We'd like to talk with you if that's OK?"

"OK," he replied. Kensi sat down on the other end of the sofa and Marty perched himself on the edge of the nearby armchair, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees.

"We're really sorry about what happened to your mom," said Marty. He waited to see if Derrick would reply.

When there was only silence, Kensi added, "She loved you so much. You were the most important person in her whole life, and she wanted to love you and keep you safe more than anything."

"She can't do that anymore," Derrick replied bitterly.

"No, sadly she can't," said Marty. "But she wanted to make sure that if anything happened to her, that you'd be taken care of. She made a will, where she talked about what she wanted for you if she, well, if she was taken away from you."

"What did it say?" Derrick asked, curious where he could possibly go without any parents or relatives that he knew of.

Marty looked at Kensi with a questioning look on his face. Kensi said, "Well, she thought that we would be the right people to take care of you."

"But I don't even know you," he said, with growing frustration at the situation and anger at his mother for putting him in this predicament.

"We did actually meet you before," Kensi said gently, "In Mexico. Do you remember us?"

Kensi's reminder immediately brought to mind images of a scary woman with freaky eyes and a gun taking him away from his dad. The sounds of gunfire filled his mind and his heart pounded in his chest. He suddenly felt surrounded by the two people and jumped up and moved to a window seat on the other side of the room. Again Kensi and Marty looked at each other, seemingly unsure what to do.

"Hey, it's OK," reassured Marty. "You're safe now. No more bad guys can find you."

Marty's words failed to make Derrick feel any better. "How do I know you aren't a bad guy?" he questioned.

A look of pain crossed Marty's face. He slowly blew out his breath before telling Derrick, "Well, I'm definitely not perfect. In fact, Kensi can give you a long list of things I mess up on a daily basis." Marty paused to see if his self-deprecating humor registered but Derrick didn't respond, so he continued. "But I work to protect people who can't protect themselves. I'm a Los Angeles police detective, and I work with Kensi, who's a federal agent like your mom was. When we came to get you in Mexico, it was because we wanted to help you come to a safer place with your mom. We know that was an incredibly scary time, but we didn't mean to frighten you."

"You were so brave," added Kensi. "I was amazed with the way you leapt over that wall in the middle of all the craziness."

The sounds of gunfire receded in his mind and Derrick thought about Kensi and Marty's words and about what had happened in Mexico. He asked, "Is my dad really dead?"

Kensi looked surprised by the question, but she answered, "Yes, Derrick, I'm afraid he is."

Not sure if he believed her, Derrick pressed, "How do you know?"

Kensi frowned, trying to figure out the best way to explain. "It happened when we were still in Mexico, after we had put you on the helicopter with your mom."

"Did you kill him?" Derrick asked, suddenly afraid of the answer.

"No!" Marty quickly responded. He looked again at Kensi before elaborating. "He came to look for you at the hospital where we were. I was hurt and Kensi was taking care of me. There was another shootout between his men and some other federal agents, and he was shot."

"I tried calling him when we were in Philadelphia. I thought maybe he was still alive and that my mom had lied to me."

Troubled looks flickered across Kensi's and Marty's faces before Kensi said, "I see. Yeah, Derrick, there's no point in trying to call him anymore. I'm sorry, but he died."

Derrick sat quietly on the bench, trying to absorb all this information. He felt so overwhelmed. He wanted to trust these two people, but didn't really see why he should. "If they found my mom, why wouldn't they be able to find you?" he asked them.

"Your mom wasn't working with us any longer," Marty told him. "She had left her job and was on her own. She wanted to spend time with you, to try to make up for being separated from you for so long. Unfortunately, being on her own like that made her vulnerable to being found. Now Kensi and I, on the other hand, well, our job requires us to go undercover a lot. We are actually trained to stay under the radar, to not be noticed. Our identities and our address are monitored to make sure no bad guys are even looking for us, let alone tracking us down. It's one of the reasons we think your mom wanted you to come live with us, so we could keep you safe."

As Derrick processed this information, a new question popped into his mind. He asked, "If my dad is dead, then why did those men come for us? Who were they?"

"Do you remember ever hearing your dad talk about having a brother?" asked Kensi.

"No," replied Derrick.

"Well," Kensi continued, "he had a brother, which means you have an uncle. His name is Steven Williams. But he's a dangerous man. He's hurt a lot of people. He was mad that your mom found you and wanted to hurt her for taking you away. Even if you wanted to go live with him, it wouldn't be safe for you to go."

Tears started to fall down Derrick's face. He felt so utterly and completely alone.

"Hey, hey, hey," Marty said softly as he tentatively got up and approached Derrick. He kneeled down in front of the boy and reached out, gently placing his hand on Derrick's knee. "Can we tell you a little more about us and why we really want to be your new family?"

Derrick looked into Marty's eyes and saw nothing but kindness. He shrugged in response.

Marty sat down on the floor and reached a hand out to Kensi, who quickly came and sat next to him. They joined hands and smiled at one another.

"So you two work together," Derrick said between sniffles, "but…"

"But we're also married," Marty replied, looking really happy to be saying those words.

"We fell in love while we were working together," Kensi said, also smiling sweetly. "It took us a long time to figure things out between us, but we love each other very, very much."

"We were married last May," Marty added. "And we've been talking about having children, but it's been a little complicated."

"We want a family," Kensi added. "But you know, neither one of us had a completely happy childhood. And I think because of that, the idea of adopting or fostering children who've had their own tough times just feels right."

This was surprising news, Derrick thought. These people seemed so grown up, so kind and capable. What could they possibly have had to deal with as kids? "What happened to you?" he asked.

Marty said, "Well, my father was not a good person. He hurt my mom and he hurt me for a long time, until we were able to get him to leave us alone. And Kensi…" He looked at Kensi expectantly.

"And I was very happy when I was a child," she said, "but then my mom and dad split up and my mom moved away. And then my dad was killed when I was 15. I was all alone for a while, just like you."

"Our point is," added Marty, "that although we may still be kinda screwed up people," he smiled, "together we are strong, and happy, and we'd like to share our life with some kids. We'd like to offer you a new home, if you'll have us. One that's safe, and can give you a good place to grow up and have a happy life."

Hearing them talk about themselves and what it might be like to live with them was calming, and Derrick's tears subsided. He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. He did have one additional concern. "But I don't look like you," he said.

"No, you don't," said Kensi. "We don't care about that if you don't. Your mom described you as a sweet and gentle person, and to us, that's all that really matters- the content of your character. The color of your skin doesn't."

Marty added, "But we'd want you to feel comfortable exploring your heritage. And we have African American friends who would be so happy to help you do that."

Derrick thought about their offer. He thought about how he didn't really seem to have any other options. His uncle sounded scary and he really wanted to be someplace where no one would try to hurt him. The two people in front of him seemed smart and nice and he liked that they appeared to be so happy together. He hadn't been around a happy couple like that before, but it felt reassuring and it made him feel safer.

"OK," he said.

"OK?" Marty asked. "Does that mean you'll come stay with us?"

"Yeah," he said simply, unsure of what else they wanted him to say, but feeling reassured by the huge smiles that graced both their faces. He tried to muster up a small smile in return.

"If you're ready, we can go home right now," Kensi offered. Derrick could only nod his head in return.

They stood up and Kensi leaned down to Derrick, with tears in her eyes. She placed her hand on his shoulder and whispered, "We're really happy to have you with us."

She turned for the door and Derrick followed her out of the house, with Deeks trailing behind them.

"Hey Derrick," he asked, "have you ever had a dog before?"

This time Derrick smiled for real.

* * *

_AN: Thanks so much to those of you who reviewed the first chapter. Your encouragement is responsible for the existence of this chapter. I'm hoping there will be one more before the story is complete._


	3. Chapter 3

At the end of October, a few weeks after Derrick had come to his new home, Deeks and Kensi asked him if he wanted to hold a service for his mom. He agreed to the idea and together they decided to ask Sam to take them out on his boat to scatter Mosley's ashes at sea. The team accompanied them and they each spoke a few words about her, mostly focusing on her dedication to her son. Hetty told the best stories, but later Derrick confessed to Deeks that he found her a bit terrifying. Deeks agreed.

That day was also the start of a new friendship between Derrick and Sam. Derrick seemed a little in awe of Sam, whose military bearing and obvious physical strength should have made him intimidating, but whose kindness and understanding, and experience with kids, made him approachable.

"We scattered my wife's ashes at sea too, after she was killed," Sam told him when they first headed out of the marina.

"How did she die?" Derrick asked somberly.

"There was a bad guy who was angry that I stopped him from hurting people. He wanted to hurt me," Sam explained.

After a few minutes, when they had cleared the breakwater, Derrick asked, "Did you feel like it was your fault?"

"Yeah, I did. Sometimes I still do. But I know deep down that I was doing my job, and my wife was proud of me for protecting people. There was nothing I could have done differently. It wasn't something I could control."

Derrick considered Sam's words as he looked out at the endless ocean. He felt small in the vast openness, but he was thankful to have so many kind people looking out for him.

* * *

In November Deeks and Kensi updated their own wills, to ensure Derrick would have new guardians if the worst happened. They named multiple possibilities, starting with their moms, and then Sam, and finally Nell and Eric. They were grateful to have so many loving options, and glad these wonderful people could spend time with Derrick even now, as grandmas and honorary uncles and aunt.

By this point the serious commitment they had taken on by becoming Derrick's guardians had truly sunken in. To help him deal with the trauma he had experienced, they arranged for him to talk to a child psychologist. Then, after much discussion, they agreed that Deeks would step down from his liaison position at NCIS and look for a safer job. He ended up talking to a buddy from law school whose firm specialized in representing non-profits, and Deeks started work there on a part-time basis, giving him plenty of time to look after Derrick.

Kensi needed a bit more time to come to terms with leaving the job she loved so much.

"I define myself by what I do, Deeks," she told him.

"Oh, Kens," he replied, "You are so much more than your job. You know that, right?"

"I do, Deeks. I just need a little more time to accept that things are changing," she said a little sheepishly.

"Changing for the better, Kensi. There's so much more we can do together," Deeks promised her while leaning in for a kiss.

By the end of November, it was clear that Derrick's best friend in the world had become his dog, Monty. Derrick had continued to fret about his safety, especially when they went out to crowded places. Monty took it upon himself to guard Derrick whenever they were together, evidently committing to his K-9 LAPD oath to protect and serve with utter seriousness. They found that walking Monty was one of the few surefire ways they could easily get Derrick out of the house.

Derrick, never having had a pet before, relished taking care of Monty, choosing fancy food and special treats at the pet food store, brushing his scraggly coat, and playing with fancy new toys. The first time they heard Derrick giggle was when he dressed Monty up in his Harry Potter Halloween costume, complete with red and yellow house scarf, round eyeglasses, a toy owl that Monty carried in his mouth and later tore into pieces, and a robe that dragged behind him and quickly tangled the poor dog up into a big pile of cloth and fur.

Derrick's attentive care was returned twice over by the dog's complete loyalty and faithfulness. Monty seemed to almost forget that he had two other people in the house who loved him. At one point Deeks said to Kensi, "We should have gotten Monty his own boy a long time ago."

* * *

By the beginning of December, they had made plans for Derrick to start school. They worried he might be behind in his studies, but fortunately testing showed that the home schooling his father had provided actually put him ahead in some subjects. Kensi took him out to collect some school supplies the weekend before he was to start, and as they drove, she picked up on a negative vibe radiating off him. When they parked in the Target lot, she nudged him to share what was bothering him.

"I haven't been in school since like first grade. I don't know how to act or what to do. And what if I don't make any friends?" he finally spewed out what had clearly been building up inside him for some time.

"I know this is scary-" started Kensi before Derrick interrupted to continue his download.

"I wish she had never come to get me. I wish I was still with my dad!" he shouted. "If she hadn't, my dad would still be alive, and so would she!"

Kensi schooled her features, absorbing Derrick's anger and desperately hoping she could comfort him. "Oh, Sweetie," she said. "Everything you say is true. I would be scared to go to a new school too. And as for your mom… You know she loved you so much, right?"

Derrick gave a small nod. Kensi debated on the right thing to say, and decided to try honesty, and a universal truth.

"Well, it's simply not in a mother's DNA to not love her child with everything she has. A mom can't stop feeling that way even if they wanted to. Your mom was compelled to find you because she loved you so, so much and wanted you to be safe."

Derrick had calmed himself, but said glumly, "Your mom didn't. Miss Julia left you alone after your dad died."

Kensi hadn't expected Derrick to go there, but she continued to calmly explain. "She didn't find out about that until after I had run away. It wasn't her fault. She and I didn't communicate very well. But you know what? We've made up for it since then." She leaned a little closer to Derrick, lowering her voice to make sure she had his attention," And for the record? I would never let that happen between the two of us. I will always, always be there to help you through bad things and to celebrate good things. OK?"

"OK."

* * *

Starting school went more smoothly than anyone, particularly Derrick, expected. Having so many teachers to learn from energized him, and he even made a few new friends.

Around the house, he continually looked for ways to pitch in. Deeks thought it was out of worry that he needed to earn his keep. Derrick found particular joy from cooking and baking. Most nights if he didn't have too much homework, he helped Deeks put dinner together, which they enjoyed with Kensi if she got home from work in time. Deeks let Derrick serve as creative director, and he pulled recipes from the Internet that they enjoyed trying.

In January he asked to bake Deeks' birthday cake. Kensi let him and Miss Bertie take the lead, and they created a beautiful, if slightly crooked, ocean-themed cake with an ombre pattern of messy blue frosting for the waves, and cookie crumb sand around the base. It was Deeks' favorite birthday ever.

* * *

At the beginning of February, Derrick's new friends made plans to go to a movie and invited him along. He happily agreed, telling them that he'd ask Marty to drop him off at the theater. As the time for leaving the house approached, he sat quietly on the front steps, absentmindedly petting Monty, who sat calmly at his side. Marty, sensing something amiss, sat down beside him.

Looking straight ahead, Derrick asked quietly, "Am I always going to feel scared?".

Deeks' heart broke just a little at Derrick's continued struggles. "No, Buddy, you won't," he quickly assured him.

"I hate feeling like this," Derrick replied.

"I know," Deeks said. He thought about how to convey to Derrick a sense of hope that he would, someday soon, feel better, and after a moment added, "Do you know what courage is, Derrick?"

"Being brave?" Derrick answered with a questioning voice.

"Yeah, being brave," agreed Deeks. "But more than that, it's being brave even when you're afraid. And that's what you've been doing from the time I met you. You're afraid but you still try new things, you still go out to new places. You don't let your fear stop you. And that means that you're courageous. And I really admire that about you."

"Thanks," Derrick said, "But I'd rather just not be afraid."

Deeks huffed out a small chuckle. The kid had common sense. "Yeah, I get that," he said, "And you won't. You know, I had a bad thing happen to me at work once. I got hurt and I was really afraid, even though the bad guys were all… in jail. I still just hid out in my house. I didn't even want to go to the beach or to surf."

"How did you get better?" Derrick asked.

"Well, a couple things helped. One was talking to people. I talked to a therapist, like you've been doing with Dr. Delaware. I talked to Kensi too. And another was that it just took time. Every day got just a tiny bit better, and I was able to do a little bit more before the fear would pop up. And eventually I stopped being afraid at all."

Derrick thought this through and after a minute stood up and told Deeks, "OK, let's go. I don't want to be late."

* * *

Over time, Derrick's circle of friends slowly grew. They met up for movies or to play video games or watch basketball on TV. Getting out of the house regularly, he began to look forward, to what fun they might have in the summer, more often than he found himself looking behind him, at the sadness and danger he had experienced.

Kip had heard about Derrick's initially rocky reentry to school, and he made sure to invite the boy and his new friends into the Clippers locker room after a game. It was the most fun Derrick ever remembered having.

By the end of March Kensi finally transitioned to a new role at NCIS working with the forensics team. She felt an incredible sense of melancholy as the move approached, even as deep down she knew it was the right thing. She was grateful to not have to say goodbye to the team, continuing to work out of the mission and seeing them on a regular basis. Only now, when she went into the field, it was to collect evidence, not to get shot at by bad guys.

* * *

Sam became a regular fixture in Derrick's life, giving him a role model the polar opposite of his father. While Derrick didn't love going out on the water, he did like helping Sam fix things on his boat. And he enjoyed hearing Sam lecture at length about the relative pros and cons of each actor who had portrayed James Bond as they worked their way through his box set. In April Derrick got to briefly meet Kam when she came home for Spring Break and was hoping to spend more time with her over the summer. On the side, Deeks started teasing Sam about how they might become related by marriage. Sam shuddered good-naturedly at the thought.

* * *

Derrick appreciated Miss Julia's beautiful home that felt as big as a mansion, and how she would take him out for meals at all kinds of restaurants where he could get recipe ideas. He thought Miss Bertie was really funny and loved hearing stories about all the trouble Marty got into as a boy.

One Saturday morning in May, Deeks and Derrick went to the bar to help Roberta do some cleaning and organizing. Roberta heard about Derrick meeting Kam and began regaling him with stories of young Marty's romantic exploits. Some ended in heartbreak, some in laughter (mostly at Deeks' expense). At one point she turned to Derrick, who was unpacking some new glassware, and told him, "You Kiddo, will break a lot of hearts yourself."

Derrick looked to Deeks to see if he would help steer the conversation in a less embarrassing direction, but Deeks only shrugged and grinned.

Roberta continued, "Oh, yeah. With those big brown eyes and that gorgeous smile, plus those smarts, you got the whole package. You're gonna need to learn how to let them down easy."

Derrick rolled his eyes and said a sarcastic, "O-kay."

"You just wait and see. I already know that you'll be kind and respectful, because that's just who you are. Just always remember how important that is. No matter how angry you are at the world, never ever take it out on the people you love, OK?"

Deeks frowned at the darker direction his mom was taking the conversation and decided to put a stop to it before she shared one too many stories. "OK, mom. Leave the boy alone- he's had enough of your advice about his love life." Changing the subject, Deeks said, "Hey Derrick, I bet with all the supplies in the kitchen, you could create something pretty awesome for our lunch. Wanna check it out?"

Happy to be free from the conversation, Derrick jumped up and went off to explore the culinary possibilities.

* * *

One weekend in June Deeks and Derrick went for a hike in the hills above Temescal Canyon. Kensi begged off, feeling tired and wanting to relax at home. As they passed the tiny trickle of a waterfall that marked the trail's mid-way point, Derrick asked Deeks, "Marty, was my dad a criminal?"

Deeks didn't outwardly react, and went with a lawyerly reply of, "What did your mom tell you about him?"

"That he took me away from her, and that he was a bad man," Derrick explained. "That he broke the law and hurt people."

Deeks asked, "How do you feel about that?"

"He was nice to me," Derrick replied.

"I'm glad to hear that," Deeks told him, relieved that Derrick's father had apparently done a surprisingly good job of sheltering Derrick from his bad guy activities and personality.

"Is it OK that I still loved him?" asked Derrick.

"Absolutely," Deeks assured him, thinking about his troubled relationship with his own father. "He was your dad." As they rounded the high point of the hike and the ocean came into view, Deeks stopped walking and looked out at the vista, immediately feeling more at peace. Derrick came up and stood beside him. "You know I told you about how my dad was a terrible person and he hurt me and Miss Bertie?"

"Yeah," Derrick said as he looked up at Deeks.

"Well, he eventually went to jail for a while, and then I never saw him again when he got out," Deeks explained. "One day a few years ago, I found out that he had died in a car accident, and I was sad. Even though he had been an awful father, he was still the only father I had, and at some level I still felt a link to him, and I still mourned his death."

"Do you think I'll become a criminal like my dad?" Derrick asked, looking into Deeks' eyes, preparing to assess the honesty of whatever response Deeks would give.

The question hit close to home but Deeks knew this was one worry he could allay. "Wow, no, Derrick," he replied with certainty. "But I get why you're worried. I've always been worried that I'll turn into my dad, that I might hurt my family like he did. But you know what?"

"What?"

"Even if we have things in common with our fathers, things that we inherited, we also have the ability to choose whether or not to be like them. We can decide. And I've decided to reject that part of my father that's inside me, the part that might ever want to hurt people."

"I don't think you're anything like your father," Derrick told Deeks.

Deeks inhaled a surprised breath and smiled slightly, reaching out to hug the boy, saying, "Thanks, Derrick, that means a lot to me."

* * *

Derrick didn't take to the ocean, seeming to find the powerful waves intimidating, no matter how hard Deeks worked to tempt him to try surfing, or even paddleboarding or kayaking. He did, on the other hand, feel comfortable in the desert. They discovered this in July on a very hot day trip to Joshua Tree, noting how relaxed and happy he seemed as they walked among the distinctive succulents that looked torn from a Dr. Seuss book. Deeks recalled Hetty's long-ago advice about a big brother program, when she had warned him that he could never predict who would become his child. He wryly noted that at least Derrick hadn't yet shown any interest in German opera. Maybe hiking in the hills above the Santa Monica Mountains would have to be their happy compromise. And hey, at least the kid liked fish tacos.

* * *

In August, when Kensi knew she had been pregnant for almost three months, they nervously sat down to tell Derrick the news. "We're thrilled about this, Derrick," Kensi told him. "But it doesn't change how much we love you. You are still – and will always be – just as much a member of this family. OK?"

"We hope you'll think of yourself as this kid's wiser, bigger brother," added Deeks, "And that you'll look out for them and give them lots of love and good brotherly advice. Does that sound like something you could do?"

"Yeah, it does," he told them.

"And Derrick," Kensi added, "I hope you know that even though this baby is going to come out of my body at some point – something I'm trying not to picture - I'll always think of you as my first child."

As she hugged him tightly, he hugged her back and smiled. And then he added, "Kensi, if this baby really is a mutant like Marty always talks about, can I use it in my science project?"

She tickled him in response until he begged for mercy.

* * *

In September Deeks and Derrick were out grocery shopping when they ran into an acquaintance of Deeks'. Deeks struggled as he always did in introducing Derrick, saying, "And this is my, um, Derrick."

Deeks decided he needed to address his dilemma head on- it had been almost a year, after all. While they were unpacking the groceries at home, he paused, putting down the cereal boxes he was unloading. He started, "Derrick, can I ask you something?"

Derrick looked up at him and saw the seriousness in his expression. He too put down his handful of provisions and said, "Uh, sure?"

"I wanted to talk about how I introduce you to other people. I don't know if there's a certain way you'd like me to describe you…" Deeks paused to see if Derrick wanted to jump in with an opinion. When he only shrugged and looked away, Deeks pushed on, saying, "How about if I tell you how I'd like to introduce you, and you can tell me whether you're comfortable with it or not?"

"OK," Derrick replied, curious about what Deeks would say.

With fingers crossed for a positive reaction, Deeks pressed on. "Well, if it didn't make you feel uncomfortable or weird," he said, "I'd like to tell people that you're my son… But I could always-"

Derrick interrupted, telling Deeks, "OK. I'm OK with that."

"You are?" asked Deeks, surprised and deeply moved by Derrick's response.

"Yeah," Derrick said simply. After a long look at Deeks' tear-filled eyes, he turned back to the cupboards. As they got back to work, he added, "Marty?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you and Kensi, and the mutant, are my new family," he said.

Deeks smiled as he felt a tear roll down his cheek. "Me too, Derrick," he replied, "me too."

* * *

In October they suggested a day of remembrance for Derrick's mom. Derrick agreed but asked if they could also remember his dad. Sam took the three of them out on his boat and they all talked about how much both of Derrick's parents had loved him, and what good care they had both taken of him.

On the way back, Derrick helped Sam navigate while Deeks and Kensi sat together watching their son listen to Sam explaining nautical terms.

Deeks smiled. With his eyes on Derrick, he asked Kensi, "That day a year ago, when Hetty gave us the news about Mosley... Did you ever imagine how our lives would change?"

"No, I don't think I even tried," she replied. "I was more focused on being in the moment and accepting fate, and trying not to have a full-on panic attack," she replied.

"Are you happy with our decision?" he asked tentatively.

"Oh, Deeks, of course I am. I love our unconventional path to having a family. Hell, our unconventional path to getting married. You know what?" she asked, turning and wrapping her arms around him.

"What?" he asked.

"I just love you, Papa."

After their kiss, he breathed out, "Awwww, I love you too."

"Now go make your baby mama a sandwich," Kensi ordered.

"Done."

* * *

_AN: Thanks to everyone who read this far, and of course to those who followed, favorited and commented. I am so grateful for your feedback on my first attempt at fiction writing. It's been unexpectedly enjoyable! As a lover of the hurt/comfort genre, I'm not at all sure how this family fic came out of my brain. And I'm not sure if I have more stories in my head, although I have thought of an opening scene for a case fic so you never know…_

_P.S. Dr. Delaware is a reference to one of my detective favorites. Written by Jonathan Kellerman, the Alex Delaware mysteries revolve around a very kind L.A. child psychologist who specializes in helping children who've suffered trauma (while solving grisly murders in his spare time)._


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